What Lies Beneath
by R.A.Ripleys
Summary: A simple letter turns their entire world upside down. Will he keep his walls in place? Or will he finally let her see what lies beneath? Rated M for some profanity and possibly some fluff and lemons later on. Formerly: I'm Going To Be A Malfoy?
1. Letters and Questions

**Hey y'all! I know it's been a while. I've been running like crazy chasing kids and working but I've been slowly editing what I had so far of this story. I'll post the first couple of chapters now and the rest as I finish it up. Since summer is coming up, I'm hoping to be able to slow down just a bit and be able to get some more writing done. Thank you all for being so patient with me! I really appreciate it!**

 **Much love!**

 **~Mia~**

* * *

 **LETTERS AND QUESTIONS**

* * *

Hermione looked up from the letter in utter disbelief. She had been at lunch with Ron, Harry, and Ginny like they did once a week when the ministry owl found them at The Leaky Cauldron. They all had identical letters from Kingsley to inform them of the situation before the announcement was made public.

She looked around the table, studying everyone else's faces as she waited for the realization to sink in to the rest of them what was actually happening. Harry and Ginny shared a similar look of complete horror. Ron stared at his letter, confusion written all over his face.

When Ron finally looked up from his letter, he looked at Hermione in a panic. "Guess now you don't have a choice but to finally say yes to me," he joked half-heartedly.

Ginny responded, "Don't be a git," smacking him in the back of his head. She turned to Harry with tears in her eyes and asked, "What if they don't pair us together?"

Hermione looked over at Ginny, picking at her seemingly forgotten chicken salad, and said "Gin, they'd be crazy not to pair you two together. Anyone in their right mind can see you are perfect for each other."

"That's what worries me 'Mione. Anyone in their right minds wouldn't allow this to happen." Ginny then got up from the table and all but ran from of the restaurant, questioning eyes following her until she reached the fireplace. She grabbed a pinch of floo powder and tossed it into the fire, green flames roaring to life as she stepped in and shouted, "The Burrow." With a whoosh, she disappeared.

"She's right, you know?" said Harry, returning his attention to his friends. "How could Kingsley ever allow this to happen?"

"I don't know, Harry," Hermione finally replied, her gaze returning to her half eaten lunch. "It doesn't make any sense."

After a few minutes, it was Ron who finally broke the silence. "I should probably go and check on Ginny. She's probably worked herself into a right state and Mum and Dad are visiting Charlie in Romania so they aren't home to calm her down."

"I should probably be getting back to work myself. I need something to take my mind off of this disaster for a while," said Hermione.

The three friends said their goodbyes as they all took turns with the floo powder, Hermione stepping into the green flames after watching Harry and Ron do the same just moments before. She shouted, "Ministry for Magic," and felt the all too familiar tug behind her navel.

She landed in the grand lobby of the Ministry moments later, turning on her heels, heading straight to the office of the Minister himself. She had no intentions of finishing her work that day and she had some questions that only Kingsley Shacklebolt could answer.

* * *

"Utter rubbish," Draco spat at the letter he had received from the Ministry earlier that afternoon. His ruckus drew the attention of his mother, who walked into the drawing room. Narcissa picked the letter up from the desk and read it over carefully, committing every word to memory. "Well dear, you may just get your wish after all."

Draco jumped at the sound of his mother's voice. He turned around, his eyes cold, and asked, "And just what wish would that be, Mother?"

Setting the letter back down on the desk, she took her seat in a chair next to her son. "I should have thought you would be overjoyed to learn you may not be required to marry Astoria anymore. I know you were never really fond of her."

Draco chuckled a bit at that and said, "I hadn't thought about that." He sat down in a fluffy armchair next to the fireplace and looked at his mother. "At least before, I was able to decide when I would be getting married. As of now, I don't even really have a choice in that either."

"Draco, you still have a year to ready yourself for the upcoming nuptials. Everything will be perfect." Narcissa was almost giddy at the thought of putting her skills to use planning her only son's wedding.

"Mother, they haven't even told me who I am matched with. I still have to go to the Ministry this afternoon so that they can perform a charm that is supposed to identify my soul mate." Draco looked worriedly at his mother. "What if I am matched with someone worse than Astoria?"

"I'm sure you will be matched with a lovely witch, Draco. You are an amazing wizard after all. And a Malfoy," Narcissa smiled at Draco sweetly and then stood to leave the room. "Any witch in all of Great Britain should be considered lucky to have been matched with such a fine young man."

As she silently walked out of the room, Draco muttered after her, "Thank you, Mother." He then headed up to his room to ready himself for his appointment with the newly created Office of Magical Repopulation Studies and Enforcement.

* * *

Kingsley Shacklebolt had refused to see Hermione until after the announcement of the Marriage Law had been made public. She was finally seated in front of him, full of questions, waiting for him to explain the reason for putting them all through something like this just three years after the war was over.

He looked at her with such sadness in his eyes that Hermione began to worry for her old friend. He looked as if he had been awake for weeks on end. _He could probably use a decent meal too_ , she thought to herself.

"Hermione, please understand that if there had been any other choice, I would not have taken this action. I am just as upset by this situation as you are," Kingsley finally said, his voice solemn.

"Kings, I've known you long enough to know that much already. What are the reasons that made this the only course of action that could be taken?" Hermione looked at him expectantly.

He sat a little straighter in his chair as he started digging for some papers on his desk. When he found what he was looking for, he handed her a piece of parchment. Just by looking at it, Hermione could tell she was looking at the census information from the past three years. She could see that the numbers of witches and wizards with magical abilities was dwindling and that obviously something needed to be done to prevent the wizarding population in Great Britain from going extinct. Finally the pieces of the puzzle started coming together in her head.

"Who all is being affected by this Law?" she asked him curiously.

"Everyone between the ages of 17 and 35. We are also using a charm developed by our Office of Magical Repopulation Studies and Enforcement to determine the best candidate to match everyone with. We don't wish to make this any harder on anyone than it already has to be."

Hermione stood up, unable to hide the growing fury in her glare. "So you're saying that we could be forced to marry a complete stranger within the next year, regardless of how we feel about one another, and then we will be forced to have a family with this person? Two children for every couple, forced to live their lives with parents who either hate each other or who don't care about the rest of the family? You know it's bound to happen, Mr. Minister."

Kingsley stood then, almost cringing at her use of his title, and made to see her out of his office. "I am very sorry, Ms. Granger. Honestly, if there were any other option, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." He closed the door behind her before she had a chance to apologize for what she said.

Hermione headed to her appointment with the Office of Magical Repopulation Studies and Enforcement early in hopes they would be ahead of schedule and could get this charm over with. She thought back to Ron, whom she hadn't spoken with since receiving news about the law from Kingsley. She hoped that all this nonsense didn't ruin her friendship with him. But she also secretly hoped she would not be matched with him.


	2. Breaking the News

**And here is chapter 2! I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it!**

 **Much love!**

 **~Mia~**

* * *

 **BREAKING THE NEWS**

* * *

It had been two weeks since Hermione had her appointment with the Office of Magical Repopulation Studies and Enforcement and it was the morning that she, along with Harry and all the Weasleys, was supposed to receive her letter declaring the results of the charm the Ministry official performed on her. They all sat at the kitchen table waiting nervously as Molly set out all the breakfast trays in the middle for everyone to serve themselves.

Everyone ate quietly, mostly picking at their food. Hermione and Ginny were helping Molly with the dishes when a large barn owl tapped on the window holding several envelopes. There was a letter there for everyone, save for Bill, whom was already married to Fleur, and Charlie, whom happened to be exempt from this Law for living in Romania.

Arthur retrieved the letters from the owl while Ginny and Hermione took their seats at the table. He then passed a letter to each of them, not failing to notice the grimace on everyone's faces. "Why don't you all open them up one at a time?" he suggested. "Percy, you first."

Percy slowly opened his letter and read aloud.

 _Dear Mr. Percy Weasley,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that the charm placed on you by your Ministry official from the Office of Magical Repopulation Studies and Enforcement was effective in finding you a suitable match. In accordance with the Marriage and Repopulation Act of 2001, Sec. 3.6, as explained to you by your Ministry official, you will have one year from the date this letter is received to wed your betrothed. Furthermore, you will have five (5) years from the date of your marriage to produce no less than two (2) children with your spouse._

 _Unapproved noncompliance with this law is punishable by revoking and snapping of your wand and exile from the wizarding community._

 _Congratulations on your engagement to:_

 _Penelope Clearwater_

 _You may inform the Ministry of your wedding date, at your earliest convenience, in writing through the Office of Magical Repopulation Studies and Enforcement. We will provide a Ministry official to preside over your ceremony at no cost._

 _Hoping you are well,_

 _Dempster Wiggleswade_

 _Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

Percy looked at his letter in shock. A smile slowly spread across his face as he told his family who he had been matched with. Penelope had been his long time girlfriend and he loved her, but he never had the courage to ask for her hand.

They continued around the table, George shouting excitedly that he had been matched with Angelina Johnson. Everyone clapped and congratulated both of the Weasley men on their compatible matches.

Next was Ron, who was upset to see that he had been paired with Lavender Brown. He crumpled up his letter and threw it on the table before storming into the living room. Percy followed him and was able to convince him to come back into the kitchen while the rest of the letters were opened.

Harry opened his letter next. His face grew red enough to match a Weasley's hair as he scanned the words. "Pansy Parkinson," he whispered. Next to him Ginny gasped and ripped into her letter in disbelief. After reading through the letter, she threw it down on the table and ran from the room in tears. Harry picked up her letter to see who she was matched with when he saw the name. "Cormac McLaggen. As if things could get any worse, they would pair her with someone who is still head over heels for Hermione."

"Oh please. Don't remind me the nightmare that man is," Hermione spoke quietly as she finally reached for her envelope and opened the seal with unsteady hands. As she read the wizard she would be paired with, she began to shake. When she seemed unable to speak, Harry moved over next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. He slowly took the letter from her hands. "Draco Malfoy," she said out loud as Hermione's anxiety attack finally overtook her and she hit the floor, out cold.

* * *

"What do you mean you're matched with Hermione Granger?" Lucius Malfoy all but screamed at his son. "What exactly are you telling us?"

Draco sat in his chair in the dining room, still stunned from what he had read in his letter. He looked up at his father and said as calmly as possible, "The charm the ministry performed on me a couple of weeks ago matched me with Hermione Granger. She is to be my wife within the next year."

Narcissa joined in the conversation, asking, "Isn't she the girl you always complained about having higher marks than you in school, darling?"

"Yes, Mother. Thank you for reminding me that my future wife is smarter than me," Draco retorted coldly, more so than he had originally intended. "Sorry, Mother," he added.

"Let us not forget, Cissy, dearest, that our son's bride to be is none other than The Hermione Granger, one third of the Golden Trio. The brains in taking down the Dark Lord. And she is also a filthy mudblood. She will taint the name Malfoy forever. Is there nothing we can do to fix this?" Lucius sounded almost desperate.

"No, Father. There is nothing anyone can do. This law is binding and noncompliance will result in my wand being snapped. I will be forced to live as a muggle for the rest of my life." Draco seemed to sink even further into his chair.

Narcissa was the only one who seemed even remotely pleased with the situation. "Draco, you must owl Ms. Granger right away. Invite her over for tea this afternoon and we can begin discussing wedding arrangements!"

Draco grimaced, visions of his now future wife, thrashing around on his drawing room floor in a pool of blood, while being tortured by his Aunt Bellatrix. "Mother, we can't invite her here. She would never accept."

"Why on earth would she not accept an invitation to tea with her future husband and his family?" She seemed genuinely confused as to why he was horrified at the idea.

"Because Aunt Bella tortured her in our drawing room three years ago. Don't you remember that, Mother? Merlin, how am I going to make this work? My marriage is a disaster before it even started." Draco got up from the table and excused himself. He found himself in the Manor library where he picked up a potions book and began to modify a formula he was planning on trying out soon.


	3. Tea and Questions

Hermione came to about twenty minutes later, laying on the couch in the living room, a warm rag on her forehead with Harry by her side. Ron was sitting at the end of the couch, her feet in his lap. The rest of the family was scattered around various areas of the living room, all looking worriedly at her. She tried to sit up but the realization of what had happened hit her full force and she laid back down. She began to cry, "Please tell me it was a dream! Please tell me I am not engaged to Draco Malfoy!"

"It's complete bollocks too," Ron said from the end of the sofa. He began to absentmindedly rub her feet and Hermione felt some of the tension subside. "All three of us got screwed."

Hermione sat up slowly, making sure she wasn't dizzy anymore, and moved over next to Ron. Putting her arm around his shoulder, she said, "I have faith that you and Lavender will be very happy together. It may take some time but you loved her once, you can learn to love her again."

Ron looked at her sadly out of the corner of his eye and Hermione found it hard to tell what was going on inside his head. Just then, a large tawny owl landed on the window sill. Percy opened the window and was almost knocked down when the owl flew into the living room and perched on the top of the couch next to Hermione. Percy brought over a treat for the bird while she untied the letter from its leg.

The first thing she noticed was the tiny, elegant writing of her name in emerald green ink.

 _Hermione,_

 _I assume you have been informed by now of our engagement and are probably just as shocked as I am. My mother and I would like to invite you over for tea this afternoon at 2 o'clock to begin discussing our marriage contract and wedding arrangements. I promise that we will not be inside the Manor for this meeting. We would also like for you to bring a representative of your choice to aide you in the contract negotiations. Send word back with Holly. She knows to wait for your response._

 _Yours,_

 _Draco Malfoy_

 _P.S. I know this is not what either of us would like to have happened, but I can promise you that I am not the man you once thought I was. I will do everything in my power to make this as easy as possible for both of us._

Hermione glanced up from the letter, noticing that everyone was staring at her expectantly. She read them all the letter (leaving out the postscript) and waited for everyone's input. There were shouts and cries. She could hardly understand what anyone was saying. She cleared her throat loudly to get everyone's attention and said, "I'm going. I might as well seeing as I'm going to be marrying him anyway. Arthur, would you mind going with me? I know it's a lot to ask, I just think I need the closest thing to a father that I have to be with me when I do this."

He eagerly agreed, saying, "I won't let them take advantage of my oldest baby girl. I will always be here to take care of you Hermione." He looked around at everyone else in the room who was nodding in agreement. "We all will."

Hermione stood to give Arthur a hug and then quietly walked into the kitchen to write her reply. After grabbing a quill from the holder on the counter, she sat down at the kitchen table, turned over the piece of parchment, and wrote her response to Draco.

 _Draco,_

 _Thank you for the invitation to tea this afternoon. Mr. Arthur Weasley and I will arrive at 2 o'clock. See you soon._

 _Hermione Granger_

Finally noticing that Holly had followed her into the kitchen and was perched on the counter in front of the window, she attached the parchment to her leg and the owl took off out of the window. Molly and Ginny joined her in the kitchen, then, and they all began making lunch for the rest of the family.

Molly started on the coleslaw while Ginny and Hermione made everyone a turkey sandwich. Grabbing a bag of chips, Hermione dumped them in a bowl on the center of the table. Molly went into the living room to get everyone for lunch while she and Ginny set everyone's plates at the table. Conversation was light and Hermione tried her best to stay involved and not think about the upcoming meeting that would decide how she spent the rest of her life.

* * *

At 2 o'clock, Hermione and Arthur stepped through the floo into Malfoy Manor. They were immediately greeted by a house elf who popped up as soon as they stepped from the hearth. "Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley. Please follow me to the courtyard. Mistress Narcissa and Master Draco are waiting for you in the garden."

As they passed through the corridor, Hermione kept her eyes glued to the back of the house elf's head. She shuddered as they passed by the drawing room and Arthur offered his arm for support. Hermione declined it saying, "Thanks Mr. Weasley, but I'm alright as long as I don't have to go in there."

They soon stepped out into the courtyard and headed for the table that was already set up just past it. The table was under a beautiful pavilion that had flowers and vines wrapped elegantly around every post. Narcissa and Draco both stood as they approached. Narcissa rounded the table and gave Hermione a well practiced, very polite hug and Draco shook Arthur's hand as they all greeted one another.

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you for inviting us to your home. The garden is lovely," said Hermione as politely as possible as she let Draco push in her seat for her. Arthur had followed Narcissa around the table and pushed in her seat as well.

"Why thank you ever so much, dear. It was no problem at all. I was just so excited to get to properly meet my future daughter-in-law. Draco, here, used to talk about you all the time on his holidays away from school," said Narcissa sweetly.

Draco hid his smirk as he retorted, "Of course I did, Mother. She was an insufferable know it all and it drove me nutters how I could never seem to best her in any of my classes."

Hermione glared at her future husband but held her tongue. She didn't want to start an argument in front of his mother. Draco seemed disappointed that she didn't take the bait.

Narcissa replied sweetly, however, well aware of what her son was trying to do. "Now, now Draco, I'm quite certain there is a reason why our young Ms. Granger is referred to as the brightest witch of her age. Now, I promise we didn't invite you over for my son to insult you Ms. Granger. Why don't we get started while we wait for tea to be served."

They began discussing things like whose money would be used for what things. They decided that Hermione would begin helping Narcissa with her charity events. They even decided that they would not be living in the Manor after the wedding. However, when it came to her not working anymore, she put her foot down. "I will continue working for the Ministry and this is non-negotiable."

Draco sat his empty tea cup down and glared at her. "Merlin, you are insufferable," he said more to himself than to her, already exhausted from the days arguing.

"And you're a git," Hermione retorted.

Narcissa and Arthur glanced at each other. It was obvious to them that the charm hadn't lied. Narcissa broke up the argument with a smile on her face. "Hermione, dear, you will be able to decide whether or not you continue working unless a healer has given you strict orders to not do so. Does that sound agreeable?"

Hermione looked exhausted. She thought about what she was being offered for a minute before saying, "Yes, it does, Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you."

"Wonderful!" Narcissa exclaimed, gathering up all her notes to give to the family lawyer to draw up the contract. "That looks to be everything."

"Not everything," said Hermione. Everyone looked at her, confused. Then she said, "When we have children, I want them to go to a muggle school, just like I did, before they begin at Hogwarts."

Just then, Lucius' voice boomed from the courtyard as he approached the table, making everyone jump at his sudden appearance. "Merlin, are you out of your mind? No Malfoy child has ever attended a muggle school and I will not allow it to start now."

"That's fine, Hermione," Draco agreed, his glare ice cold on his father. He certainly enjoyed this act of defiance, especially since it didn't matter to him where his children went to school so long as they went to Hogwarts when they got their letters.

"Draco, I forbid it," Lucius sneered at his son. He seemed determined to make him see reason.

"Fortunately, Father, that decision does not lie with you." He turned to Hermione and she caught sight of his steel grey eyes. Her breath caught and she hoped no one else noticed it. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss before Mother sends her notes over to the family lawyer?"

"No. I don't think so. That seems to be all," she replied nervously.

Draco rose from the table and offered Hermione his arm. "Let me walk you out." She took it and walked with him towards the house.

"I'll meet you at the Burrow, Hermione," Arthur called after her. "I'm going to go with Narcissa to the lawyer and I'll bring home a copy for you to look over and sign."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. And thank you, again, Mrs. Malfoy, for inviting us over this afternoon," Hermione said over her shoulder.

Draco spoke quietly, "I meant what I said in my note, Hermione. I'm not who I used to be. Since we have no choice but to spend the rest of our lives together, I am going to spend every day proving to you that I have changed."

Hermione felt her cheeks flush. She could already see that he was well on his way to doing just that. She couldn't help but think that this arrangement wouldn't be as bad as she had imagined it to be.

When they reached the fireplace, he sat her down on the iron bench across the corridor. She looked at him questioningly. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and kneeled down in front of her. When he opened the box, she gasped audibly. Inside was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. There was a solitaire, princess cut diamond set in a delicate white gold band, flanked by an emerald and a ruby on each side.

"Hermione, I know that right now we barely know each other and that neither of us imagined being in this situation, but I promise that I will never hurt you. I promise that I will spend the rest of my life proving to you that I am no longer that arrogant child I used to be. I will give you the life you and our future children deserve. Will you do me the great honor of being my wife and becoming the next Mrs. Malfoy?"

She looked up from the ring with tears in her eyes. "Yes, of course," she said shyly as he took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. It felt awkward on her hand but it looked absolutely beautiful.

He then sat down next to her, trying to make her feel more at ease. They made small talk for a few minutes before he turned the subject back to their engagement. "You know our engagement is sure to be in the Prophet by morning?"

"Yes, I know," she said timidly, hoping she would be able to avoid the media in this fiasco. Who was she kidding? She was going to marry Draco Malfoy! Of course the media would be a part of the whole process.

"Now I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do, but I think we should send in our own announcement. You know, head them off. We can still take control of that part of this whole thing."

"That sounds like a good idea," she agreed.

"I will write up the announcement tonight and owl it to you for you to review. If you are alright with it, I will send it to the Prophet for the morning print."

"Alright. That sounds wonderful," she tried to hide her nervousness but her shaky voice betrayed her. Draco reached for her hand, rubbing small circles into her palm to calm her.

He stood up to walk her over to the fireplace. "I hope you enjoyed yourself this afternoon."

"I did. Thank you for having us over," she said, the smallest hint of a smile crossing her lips.

"It was my pleasure." He raised her hand in his and pressed a light kiss to the top, just above her engagement ring. She felt her face flush as bright as the rubies on her new adornment. She stared into his steel grey eyes and her stomach fluttered. "I'll see you soon, Hermione," he told her.

Taking a pinch of floo powder from the small silver cauldron hanging on a hook next to the fireplace, she replied, "See you soon, Draco," her voice still unsteady. Throwing the powder into the bottom of the fireplace, she dared another glance at Draco. As she turned to him, he bent down and placed a small kiss on her cheek before backing away. Blushing, she turned back to toward the green flames. She said, "the Burrow," and stepped into the fire that swept her away from her former enemy and back to the place she had begun to call home.

"Hermione, dear. You're home. How was tea?" Molly asked her as she entered the living room. "Where is Arthur?"

"It was fine. No major arguments broke out or anything. Except for when Lucius tried to interfere with the negotiations. Arthur stayed with Narcissa and is waiting for a final draft of the contract from their lawyer to bring home for me to review and sign." Hermione moved towards the stairs as she continued speaking. "I promise we will talk about it all at dinner but if you don't mind, I would like to take a nap. This afternoon has been exhausting."

"Of course, dear. Don't let me keep you. I'll send someone up to get you when supper's ready." Molly smiled sweetly at Hermione as she began climbing the stairs.

She headed up to the room she had been sharing with Ginny and laid down on her bed. Her head was spinning with all the new emotions coursing through her mind, and drifted off into an uneasy sleep


	4. Nightmares

**I know, I'm spoiling you with updates this close together! Well, I had this written up through chapter 6 when I decided I absolutely did NOT like where my story was heading. So I decided to just start over somewhat by changing some things early on that would change the direction of the rest of the story. This is the last chapter that I just had to edit a bit instead of completely rewrite so after this it may be a while before another update comes out. I apologize in advance for that. But I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for sticking with me!**

 **~Mia~**

* * *

 _She could barely see through the blinding pain. She was lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. The pain eased for a moment as Bellatrix momentarily stopped her torture. She rolled her head to the side and saw Draco staring at her in horror, being held in place by his mother. She could see a single tear roll down his cheek. Bellatrix had then decided that her break was over and began her torture again. She screamed in pain as Draco and his mother were forced to stand there and watch..._

Hermione was screaming, being shaken awake by a terrified Ginny. "Hermione, it's alright. It's just a dream. You're safe. You're home."

She sat up and looked around. She had been dreaming. She hadn't had one of those dreams in years. "Ginny, what's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare. I thought those had gone away. What happened?" Ginny had calmed down a bit but was still concerned for her friend.

Hermione stared at a spot on the wall across from her bed, still exhausted from the day's events. "I'm not really sure. Everything went well. We hashed out the whole contract." She then looked at Ginny, who still looked really worried. "But right before I left, he actually proposed. And then he promised that he would prove he'd changed. I just feel like the whole world has flipped upside down and I'm all confused."

Ginny was shocked. She grabbed Hermione by the hand to look at her ring and let out a squeal so loud it caught the attention of Ron and Harry who were headed up the stairs to grab the girls for dinner. They came barging through the door in a panic.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Harry asked panting.

"Everything alright?" Ron asked from the doorway.

"Yes, everything is alright. Thanks everyone for checking on me," Hermione tried to get Ginny's attention away from her ring.

"Like hell it is!" Ginny shouted. "Look at this rock!"

Harry glanced at it from across the room. "It's beautiful, 'Mione. Congratulations."

She looked up with a small smile on her face. It faltered when Ron stormed out of the room with a huff. Ginny looked passed Harry and said, "He's just being a git. You know how he is." She stood up and stormed out of the room after her brother, leaving Harry alone with Hermione.

"Are you sure you're alright? What were you both doing in here anyway? I thought you had gone to sleep," Harry questioned her like any worried brother would.

"Well, I had taken a nap but I guess I had another nightmare and Ginny woke me up. I was just telling her about this afternoon when she saw my ring and squealed." Hermione played with her hands nervously as she moved to let Harry sit down on the bed.

Harry took her hands in his, "I still get them too sometimes." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and said, "Everything is going to be alright. You may be marrying the world's greatest git, but you will still have me. You're family, 'Mione. I'm not going anywhere."

"Thanks, Harry," she said, finally starting to feel the knot in her chest loosen.

"Come on, then. Molly sent us up here to get you for supper." Harry stood, pulling her up with him. She followed him to the kitchen, never letting go of his hand.

* * *

Later that evening, Hermione and Ginny were sitting in their room talking about the conversation Ginny had with Ron. Hermione knew he wouldn't take the news well but she never expected him to skip a meal. "He's just really upset, 'Mione. He really loves you. He hasn't even spoken to Lavender yet. She's sent him three owls today!"

Everyone had been very supportive of Hermione and her new engagement. She had retold the story again at dinner and everyone else seemed just as shocked as she was by what happened.

"How does he think I feel? Does he think I did this on purpose? I'm just trying to make the most of this whole thing. I mean, I have to spend the rest of my life with Malfoy. I might as well try to make amends with him." Hermione tried to calm herself down, but she found herself fighting back tears again.

Just then, a light tap came from the small bedroom window. Hermione looked up to see Holly holding what she assumed was Draco's draft of their engagement announcement. She stood up to let the owl in while Ginny grabbed her tin of treats off the desk. Ginny offered Holly a cracker as Hermione untied the envelope from her leg.

 _Granger-Malfoy_

 _Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Malfoy are pleased to announce the engagement of their son, Draco Malfoy, to one Hermione Granger, daughter of Drs. Frank and Virginia Granger._

 _Ms. Hermione Granger, known for being one-third of the Golden Trio, along with her friends Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, works for the Ministry of Magic, furthering the cause for the better treatment of house-elves._

 _Mr. Draco Malfoy, former Death Eater, most accomplished in alchemy, is currently consulting for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as well as brewing rare and difficult potions for St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries._

 _Malfoy and Granger attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry together for six years, until the war and following defeat of Voldemort. They have been brought back together by the recent passing of the Marriage and Repopulation Act._

 _A wedding date has not yet been decided and the happy couple will announce it as soon as possible. They will not accept any requests for interviews and continue to appreciate the privacy they have been provided._

She looked at Ginny who was waiting impatiently to know what her letter had said. "Draco wrote out our engagement announcement. I told him I would look over it before he sent it in to the Prophet."

"That's a good idea," said Ginny. "Have you decided on a date yet?"

"No, we haven't. I think we were both just completely overwhelmed today to even realize that we hadn't. I only remembered because he says so in the article." She handed Ginny the parchment and picked up her hair brush from her bedside table. Ginny looked up after reading it to see her struggling with her unruly curls and giggled.

"The announcement sounds perfect for the situation," she said, moving behind Hermione on the bed to help her brush the knots out. "You should talk about the date soon though. I have to make sure my Maid of Honour can even attend my wedding."

"Oh, Gin! Of course I'll be there!" She turned around and gave her friend a big hug. "Come on now. It's getting late. We should get some sleep."

Hermione stood up and walked over to the desk. She shuffled around for some parchment and scribbled out a note to Draco while Ginny tucked herself into her own bed.

 _Draco,_

 _The announcement looks perfect to me. Thank you for taking care of that bit. I'm sorry for not speaking much before I left. I was still shocked and overwhelmed by everything. I hope your evening is going well. See you soon._

 _Hermione_

She sent Holly on her way with her reply to Draco before settling into her bed, turning out the lights with a quick "Nox" and then putting away her wand for the night. Ginny was already snoring softly in her bed across the room.


End file.
